Boston Red Sox DH David Ortiz ran the bases on Saturday and experienced soreness in his troublesome right Achilles tendon that he strained last July. Reportedly Ortiz will try and run again today with the goal of playing spring games later in the week. Given the nature of his injury and the fact that it occurred 7 months ago; its fair to ask how Ortiz can last an entire 162 game season.
“These next three days are going to tell a lot about where David’s at,’’ Manager John Farrell said Sunday morning. “His ability to remain loose inside of a given day. That’s probably the one question he has yet to answer to himself, is that when he gets hot, loosens up, the time between that point in the time of day and his first at-bat and every at-bat after that. That’ll happen in due time, but right now that’s the one thing that can’t be fully answered, just remaining loose without continuing to run or doing agility work.’’
The injury was originally diagnosed as a slight tear and has apparently healed. The soreness Ortiz is feeling is a result of an area of calcification behind the tendon that causes irritation every time it steps back and forth. “Every time you bend that tendon you feel it, and I’m a big boy, you know what I’m saying?” Ortiz said yesterday. “It puts more stress.” It’s safe to assume that 162 game season will cause significant stress to his fragile Achilles tendon.
While taking the slow approach this spring Ortiz is hopeful, but can’t guarantee he will be ready for the regular season. “I want to be sure that when I get back, it’s for the rest of the season,” he said. “I don’t want it to be one week on, two weeks off. That’s why we’ve been smart about how we’re approaching things, so when I come back and play, I’m going to get in the lineup and stay there.”
So is all of Red Sox Nation.
